Texas Man Faked Terror Call to Catch Megabus

A 35-year-old Austin, Texas man pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fake terror threat to delay a Megabus he was about to miss. Kirk Stuart admitted to calling 911 and falsely claiming his “brother” was armed and planning to carry out a shooting ‘for Allah’ at the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) North End terminal on February 7, 2015.

Stuart, realizing he wouldn’t make the bus departure from Memphis to Dallas, used a companion’s phone to contact Memphis emergency services. He described a nonexistent gunman as part of a fabricated plot, telling the 911 operator the man was about to do “something for Allah, a Muslim thing for Allah.” The call triggered an immediate response from the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

By the time officers arrived at the MATA terminal, the Megabus had already left for Dallas, traveling through Arkansas. Authorities alerted the Arkansas State Police (ASP), leading to the bus being intercepted and searched in Little Rock. No suspect matching Stuart’s false description was found. Passengers were subjected to a tense, unnecessary security sweep—all based on a lie.

Investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) quickly unraveled the hoax. Agents traced the call and interviewed Stuart in Dallas, where he confessed. He admitted he made the false report solely to delay the bus so he and his girlfriend could catch it at its next stop in Dallas.

On December 20, 2016, Stuart pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charmiane G. Claxton to one count of willfully and maliciously conveying false information. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Stuart is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman on Friday, March 24, 2017, at 10 a.m. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea.